Israel’s Heron TP drones present a new class of pilotless aircraft, equal in size to a Boeing 737, making it the largest unmanned aircraft in the IAF fleet. The surveillance craft is capable of hovering for 20 hours as well as carrying an array of payloads.
The newer model Heron series pilotless craft can reach new altitudes, 40,000 feet, with IAF officials introducing it into the feet officially on Sunday at an air force base ceremony.
IAF commander Major-General Ido Nehushtan explained the Heron TP is capable of extending the arm of the IDF, and as the need arises, the craft will be deployed as required.
While the military remains silent, it is understood that the IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) locally produced craft can serve a purpose in an assault against Iran’s nuclear facilities, with experts explaining that it is capable of sending intelligence information and jamming enemy communications.
Pilotless aircraft or ‘drones’ as they are commonly referred to were deployed during the 2008 counter-terrorism military offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza, Operation Cast Lead, acting as the eyes of the infantry, sending intelligence information back to ground forces ahead of their entry onto enemy territory.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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9 Responses
In addition to drones, Israel has at least two other, completely different ways to take out Iran’s nuclear capability.
Sometimes subtlety is more effective than brute force.
IF a drone can go 20 hours with the same flexibility as a manned aircraft (presumably one needs a secure way to communicate with it), it would suggest that manned aircraft are obsolete for most military purposes, and not just for Israel. If one is willing to make a one way trip (a suicide mission for the plane, similar to one that every rocket makes), a craft can reach any target anywhere in the world.
Assuming one can maintian contact with the drone (and avoid getting jammed by the enemy), combat pilots will have gone the way of cavalry, catapults and tall ships.
akuperma, combat pilots will not go out of style.
I am glad that Israel will be using drones so they are able to spare Jewish lives.
Flatbush Bubby
If drones keep getting more and more advanced why ever send a human up there?
So its all sorted then? Isreal will use drones – Sholom al yisroel!
Because WellInformedYid no matter how far advanced the technology comes you can’t beat the human brain. Of course when you can you should use drones or similar technology. But, if you want cover for the infantry or to observe, a human pilot can’t be beat.
thats exactly what iran wants! they moved their nuclear material from an underground bunker to an above ground facility…theyre trying to get us to attack so that they can amass support for a full scale war!
Here’s a link to a fairly lengthy article from the Air Force Magazine about the issue.
http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2010/February%202010/0210watch.aspx
If you’ve been following these types of stories, you’d see that General Schwartz (the USAF Chief of Staff, and yes, he’s Jewish) is very keen on taking pilots out of planes, although he doesn’t think it can happen any time soon. There’s a big difference between what they’re doing with drones now and what the potential is.
hanavon, you have better aitzos? I say tehillim.